Is AI technology a companion of truth or its competitor?

The advancement of AI technology has revolutionized every aspect of our lives. However, alongside this progress, an invisible crisis is also unfolding—the line between truth and falsehood is becoming increasingly blurred. We now live in a reality where what we see, hear, or even receive from trusted sources can no longer be taken at face value. AI has made it possible to present lies as truth, and even distort the truth so convincingly that it creates dangerous confusion.

This is not just a technological problem—it is a profound human crisis. I was once disturbed by a video circulating on social media that showed a prominent political leader making an inciting statement. Later, it was revealed to be a "deepfake" video. It was crafted so perfectly that there was no visible sign of its inauthenticity to the untrained eye. That experience made it clear—we have entered an era where “evidence” no longer guarantees truth.

The question is: how do we navigate this crisis? When technology itself becomes a tool for deception, can we still use it to uncover the truth?

Upon deeper reflection, it becomes clear that the root of the problem isn't AI itself, but rather how we train it. AI doesn’t create anything on its own—it learns from what we feed it. If we provide it with distorted, biased, and false information, it will produce misleading outputs. But if we train it with transparent, objective, and ethical data, the same technology can assist us in our pursuit of truth.

However, technological improvement alone is not enough—human moral and psychological development is also essential. For instance, the concept of "Explainable AI" has emerged, which compels AI systems to explain their decisions. Additionally, fact-checking technologies, source-tracing algorithms, and automated verification tools are now crucial. These must be further developed and made widely accessible. At the same time, on a global scale, ethical standards and accountability must be established in technology-based information management.

Beyond the technical aspects, the most critical factor is public awareness. People must develop the mindset to verify information before accepting it as truth. Media literacy must be promoted—citizens should not only learn how to use technology but also understand its impact, risks, and how to distinguish truth from falsehood. An informed individual would never trust or share a suspicious video or piece of information without verification.

We are taught from childhood to always tell the truth and never lie. But in today’s world, it is truth that faces the greatest competition. When a child grows up seeing falsehoods go viral on social media, the value of truth begins to erode. This is not merely a technological or social issue—it is a deep moral crisis.

Yet, there is no reason to lose hope. History shows that humanity has always learned from its mistakes and found a way forward. A day may come when AI not only analyzes data but also helps humans make ethical decisions. That day may still be far off, but we can plant its seeds today.

But raising awareness among people alone is not enough—technology itself must be turned into an “ethically conscious tool.” AI must be designed and regulated in such a way that it resists manipulation and refuses to be used to validate falsehoods. It should be able to analyze and reject suspicious commands or data. Today, leading tech companies are working on concepts like AI Alignment and Constitutional AI—training AI to consider human values, ethics, and context before making decisions. This will be the future safeguard of technology—where machines won’t just follow commands but evaluate them critically.

We now stand at a crossroads—either accept technology blindly and fall victim to misinformation, or use it consciously to turn it into a tool for truth. The struggle for truth is no longer just a moral duty—it is a battle for building a just society. If technology can become a weapon of confusion, it can also be transformed into an instrument of truth—on one condition: that its control remains in the hands of human conscience.

Rahman Mridha is a researcher and writer, and former director at Pfizer, Sweden.